Agricultural implement



2 She ets-Sheet 1 Filed March 9, 1948 Patented Aug. 31, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,687,681 AGRICULTURAL MPLEMENT Warren Phenice, Elton, La. Application March 9, 1948, Serial No. 13,897 2 Claims. (01. 97-46.95)

and the means employed to draw the implement over the ground.

Many eiforts have been made to overcome the roblem but none of the devices known hitherto prior devices employed the new and novel arrangement of elements contemplated herein.

In plowing or cultivating the soil in modern stant predetermined magnitude.

The inventive concept is capable of employment in a number of diiferent types of apparatus but, for purpose of illustration, but without terrain.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the plow of the present invention and a fragment of the tractor to which it is coupled.

Figure 3 isa plan view of one of the elements of the compensating lever assembly of the plow shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the plow of the present invention, on an enlarged scale, showing in solid and dotted lines the alternative positions of the elements of the plow under different conditions of operation.

Figure 5 is a cross section of the levee cutter shown in Figure 4, through line 5-5 thereof.

Throughout the specifications and drawings, like reference characters refer to like parts.

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention as it is employed in a plow which is drawn by a tractor having suitable coupling means for attaching the plow thereto. The invention and the mode of operation of the illustrated embodiment is explained in detail hereinafter.

As tractor H draws plow 12 over terrain 13 along horizontal axis a:+m during normal plowing operations, the plow point It penetrates the soil to a predetermined depth which is regulated principally by shoe l5 in the manner described in greater detail hereinafter. As long as the tractor and plow move over level terrain, the only adjustment that is efiected in operation of the implement is through link i6 carried within yoke ll of adjustment lever 18.

Lever i8 is pivotally supported intermediate the ends thereof by pin it at one end of bell crank lever 2i being rigidly connected, as by welding to an arm of yoke 11. Between the pivot of lever 18 and the handle portion thereof, a collar 22 surrounds a pivotally mountedguide bar 23 which is held in a pre-selected position by a latch and detent means 24 associated with the handle portion of lever i3.

As long as tractor ii and plow [2 move over even terrain, the aforementioned elements and tie rod 26 remain in relatively fixed relation to each other. This relationship is maintained as long as upper fixed drawbar 2i and lower fixed drawbar 28 lie in a substantially horizontal position. Through coupling pintle 3i and four-way hitch 32 the plow may be drawn steadily even as tractor ii changes its direction of movement to right or left, without affecting the depth of penetration of the plow point into the soil.

When tractor it draws plow i2 over rough terrain, however, there is a tendency for the change in relative positions of the tractor and plow to cause the plow points to vary in its depth of penetration into the soil. It is to overcome this difiiculty that the apparatus of the present invention is provided. By way of example, if

the front wheels 33 of the tractor drop into depression its, shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, to a level lower than that of the rear wheels M on higher ground i? b the elevation of upper and lower drawbars 2i and 28 results in a tension on movable drawbar which, in turn, is transmitted through bell crank lever 28 and link it to lift the rear end of shoe i5 about the point at which it is pivotally mounted on plowshare 35. At the same time, upward movement of lower drawbar 28 causes plow beam 36 and plowshare 35 to rotate slightly about the fulcrum 3'! of bell crank lever 2! supported by bracket 38 and thereby change the parallelism between tie rod 26 the beam Sii. This action permits the plow point to maintain constant its depth of penetration when otherwise the point might be raised clear out of the ground as the front wheels of the tractor come to a depression in the terrain. Conversely, otherwise, the point would have a tendency to dig too deeply into the ground when the front wheels pass over ground at a level higher than that over which the rear wheels are pass- In some circumstances the surface of the terrain is such that it is difficult for the plowshare and blade to cut through a high spot in the soil. To facilitate movement of the plow through such soil, the beam carries a levee cutting blade 39 which cuts a path for the plowshare and blade which follow.

From the foregoing it will be seen that at least three adjustments may be effected in the relationship of the respective elements of the plow. First, a manual adjustment of lever It! may be effected, as shown in Figure 4, whereby the predetermined depth of penetration of the plow point It may be set. Second, if the front wheels 33 of the tractor pass to a point lower than the rear wheels 3d the linkage assembly causes compensatory adjustment of the shoe l5 and plow point It to prevent the point from clearing the terrain completely. Third, if the front wheels 33 pass to than the rear wheels 34 of the tractor, the linkage assembly causes adjustment of the shoe it to prevent the point M from penetrating the soil too deeply.

Some of the individual elements of the apparatus of the present invention possess considerable novelty and contribute to the proper functioning of the apparatus as a whole. The tie rod 2t shown in Figure 3, for example, provides a simple, convenient linkage between the tractor and the plow. The rod includes a yoke portion M in which a pintle is engaged and through which the plow is coupled to the upper drawbar 21 of the tractor. At the opposite end of the rod 25 is a T-head d2 which serves as a connecting element for attaching the tie rod to bell crank lever 2i, as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

The construction of bell crank lever 2| is such that the load transmitted therethrough is distributed through the bilateral arms thereof and thus provides an easier, smoother working linkage between tie rod 26 and adjustment lever It. It will be seen that the U-shaped support 38 for the bell crank lever 2! is arranged with its upstanding arms in supporting engagement with the bilateral arms of bell crank lever 2!.

The aforementioned bilateral construction is also embodied in the yoke ii at the end of adjustment lever i8 and thus provides a strong, easily operated means fo transmitting the movement from the bell crank lever 21 to the shoe l5 through link it. For the purpose of simplifying the cons ruction of the adjustment lever, the bilateral construction is limited to the yoke portion and the single metal piece which serves as an operating lever is welded or otherwise fixed to one side of the yoke ll.

it will be understood from the foregoing that many different kinds of coupling elements may be substituted for those used in the present apparatus without departing from the spirit of the invention. The pintle and four-way hitch illustrated herein may be replaced by suitable universal couplings, if desired. The plow beam and, indeed, many of the other elements of the implement may be replaced by other elements under certain conditions. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, but rather is intended to cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims whatever features of patentable novelty reside in the invention.

5 I claim: 1. In combination with a tractor, an agricultural implement for plowing comprising a pair of and said control linkage.

2. Apparatus of the character described in claim 1 wherein a levee cutting blade is mounted said beam between said point and. the coupling of said lowermost drawbar.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number N umber 4,632

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

